TV composerFred Steiner

A composer, Steiner wrote music for TV shows and films. You’ve heard his music, usually underscores (quiet, under the dialogue), in episodes of Star Trek, Hogan’s Heroes, Have Gun Will Travel, The Danny Thomas Show, The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West, Hawaii Five-O, and many more. He was nominated for an Oscar for his score for The Color Purple. But he’ll probably be best known for writing “Park Avenue Beat” — the theme for the Perry Mason series — as well as writing the theme for The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle. He died June 23 at his home in Jalisco, Mexico, after a stroke. He was 88.